THUNDER BAY— With temperatures reaching upwards of 28 C on Monday, the PACE cooling centre has been busy this summer.
“We have been pretty busy right from the minute we opened our doors this morning with the heat,” said Georgina McKinnon, executive director for PACE. “I mean at 7 a.m. this morning, it was about 19 C already.”
“Having a place like PACE to come to gives them that assurance that they can get out of the heat,” she said.
The Thunder Bay-based PACE, which stands for People Advocating for Change through Empowerment, operates community outreach services in the city at 510 Victoria Ave. East from Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Offering a warming centre during cold Canadian winters and a cooling centre in the heat of summer, the community hub remains an essential resource for community members in the city, she said.
“We have showers, we have laundry facilities, computers, telephones, and we also do programming,” she said.
Some program efforts include social inclusion, sharing circles, educational workshops, and advocacy efforts, all aimed at fostering a stronger and more connected community, she said.
Supplies are also needed in order to continue the on-going assistance offered to vulnerable community members, she said.
Donations of summer clothing and shoes are welcome.
McKinnon said an average of 10 to 20 community members are lined up at the door for 7 a.m. every morning in the summer months.
During the month of July, however, the daily numbers have increased to more than 150 community members during the day.
The temperature in Thunder Bay at 1 p.m. on Monday was 28 C, with the humidity making it feel considerably hotter.
Environment Canada’s forecast for the district of Thunder Bay has slightly cooler temperatures ahead for at least the next several days with highs of 22 C on Tuesday and 19 C on Wednesday.
